Almanac

$70 million school bond measure planned for June ballot
in Las Lomitas district

by Barbara Wood

The Las Lomitas Elementary School District's board unanimously approved putting a $70 million bond measure on the June 5 ballot at its Feb. 14 meeting.

If more than 55 percent of those voting approve the measure, it would bring the district's bond spending to $154 million, or $113,821 per current student.

Three other bond measures totaling $84 million have been passed since 1999, including a 2013 bond measure for $60 million.

By comparison, bond spending in the Menlo Park City School District per current student is $45,794, and in the Woodside Elementary School District is $75,430 per student. Currently, the Las Lomitas district's per-student bond spending is $62,084.

If approved, the bond measure would cost property owners approximately $300 per $1 million in assessed property value each year.

The two-school Las Lomitas district is currently working on major construction projects on both its campuses using the proceeds of the November 2013 bond. District officials say a 2013 master plan identified $120 million in needs for its schools: kindergarten to third-grade Las Lomitas and fourth- through eighth-grade La Entrada Middle.

Included in the resolution authorizing the bond election is a long list of projects the bond revenue could be used for, including: demolition and construction of new classrooms, technology upgrades, energy-efficiency upgrades, playgrounds and equipment, multipurpose rooms, security and safety systems, school offices, and "furniture, equipment, architectural, engineering, and similar planning costs, program management (and) staff training."

At is.gd/LL_list, see the full wording of the resolution calling for the election and the full project list online.

Information posted on the district's website says the following projects are planned for phase two of construction at La Entrada:

One major difference between the district's circumstances in 2013 and now is that in 2013 the district was experiencing increasing student enrollment. Since then, enrollment has steadily fallen from a high of 1,419 students in the 2012-13 school year to 1,360 this school year.

This story contains 411 words.

Stories older than 90 days are available only to subscribing members. Please help sustain quality local journalism by becoming a subscribing member today.

If you are already a subscriber, please log in
so you can continue to enjoy unlimited access to stories and archives.
Subscriptions start at $5 per month and may be cancelled at any time.